Here we are again folks – that time of the week where I drop my five players to watch for the pats this week. The Patriots look to keep up with their winning streak against a tough Bears team with a stingy defense and solid offense. Let’s get right into it, shall we?
Dont’a Hightower: This will be another week that the Pats LB will be called upon to try and keep the Bears running attack at bay. The Bears have a very solid duo in Howard and Cohen that are more then capable of causing this team problems. I expect Hightower to come up big again here. How often do we say he’s lost a step just to see him make a big play? He’s still the leader of this defense when push comes to shove. This is the week for him to make an impact out there.
James White: This isn’t exactly going out on a limb, but this is a prime game for him to be a difference maker. The Bears defense is stubborn on the run this season – in fact they haven’t giving up a 100-yard rusher all year. I don’t think this is gonna change this week. I’m certainly no psychic, but I expect the Pats will use a lot of screen passes to James. Give me a TD minimum.
Josh Gordon: The time is now to let Flash do his thing. We’re starting to see Brady trusting his not so newest toy more every week. What I wanna see is Tom take shots downfield more. Why not open up the playbook more here? We saw in the last game that he’s getting the hang of the playbook. Look for him to be a factor in this game and continue to form more chemistry with Brady. Â Put me down for 6 catches with 1 TD.
LaAdrian Waddle: This will be another big start for him. With starting right tackle Marcus Cannon out, the Pats will once again call upon a backup to “do his job,”. Let’s hope he’s up for it this game. I suspect the Bears will push Mack onto his side of the field. I fully expect he will get help a lot in this game to try and slow down the Bears frontline. How he performs will go a long way in determining how well the Pats offense gets going in this game.
Stephen Gostkowski: This is a first for me so this will be interesring. The Pats kicker has been doing his thing of late. How big was he last week against the Chiefs? This could very easily be another close game this week where you see him make a big kick late. I think he’s been very solid so far this year, and will continue to have an impact in the games ahead.
Prediction: I’m gonna take the Pats in a close one 20-17 with the Pats winning it late in the 4th. Don’t be fooled by the Bears game last week against Miami. That defense is pretty solid and the team overall isn’t half bad either.
You can follow me on Twitter @Chris_Blackey. As always – Go, Pats!
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